Giving Parkinson’s Disease A Run For Its Money

To friends and family members, Brian Adam was larger than life. So, it’s no surprise that his inspirational story has continued to outlive the disease that took his life in December 2023.

In honor of Brian, his nephew Nick Manis, Manis’ childhood friend LJ Urie, and Brian’s son-in-law Jeff Begin will each run 100 miles from Centreville, Maryland, to Ocean City during World Parkinson’s Day on April 11.

Their goal: to collectively raise at least $100,000 for the Michael J. Fox Foundation and spread awareness about Parkinson’s disease.

The run is no small feat. To understand their sacrifice is to know how Brian’s influence left a lifelong impression on them all.

Big B And His Resilient Spirit

A tight end at the University of Delaware from 1974-1978, Brian set numerous records during his time as a Blue Hen. He still holds the school’s single-game reception mark for a tight end with 12 receptions.

He had a large stature at 6-foot-3, 220 pounds. That earned him the nickname “Big B.”

“Brian was the biggest, strongest guy in the room but humble,” said Harriet Adam, Brian’s wife for 40 years.

The couple met at the University of Delaware during Brian’s junior year. Together, they raised three daughters who played lacrosse at Severn School, and the family moved from Annapolis to Severna Park in 2002.

Nephew Nick Manis, literally and figuratively, looked up to Brian.

“He was almost like the big friendly giant,” Manis said. “It was great having a male figure to look up to, along with my dad, and he did things right, personality wise with his heart and how kind he was.”

Brian’s career took him from acting chief financial officer for Amtrak to investment banking at Capstar Partners in New York City. He later took a job at SunTrust Bank in Baltimore to be closer to his girls, Jessica, Anastasia and Elizabeth.

“He was an investment banker and the guy who walked in the room and made things happen,” Harriet said.

Everyone knew Big B for his energy and optimism, often hearing him repeat the phrase, “Great day to be alive.”

That optimism was put to the test in 2013. Following up on a neck injury from his football days, and numbness in his fingers, Brian had some tests done. Doctors delivered a startling diagnosis to the 58-year-old Brian: Parkinson’s disease.

Harriet remembers the terminology doctors used. “It was a mild case, they said.”

Mild is not a word often associated with Parkinson’s disease. While not always fatal, the progressive neurodegenerative disorder can cause tremors, loss of balance, slurred speech and pain. In one word, it can be “debilitating,” as Harriet described Parkinson’s.

But early after the diagnosis, the description of “mild” fit.

“He was still driving, going to the gym, working,” Harriet said. “Then, his symptoms started progressing more rapidly.”

By 2019, the stiffness and limited ability to move was so arresting that Brian underwent a seven-hour surgery called deep brain stimulation (DBS). By implanting electrodes into brain tissue, the procedure controls motor symptoms.

“DBS is like having a pacemaker put in your brain,” Harriet said, noting that the procedure helps during “off” periods. Those are times when the Parkinson’s symptoms become more noticeable between medication doses.

The gentle giant became confined to a wheelchair.

“This disease diminished his physical presence but not his spirit,” Harriet said. “He never complained. He never said, ‘Why me?’”

He did not complain either when being diagnosed with multiple system atrophy (MSA) about eight years after he learned he had Parkinson’s.

Symptoms for Parkinson’s and MSA can overlap.

“Brian had orthostatic hypertension, which is low blood pressure, where you stand up and pass out,” Harriet said. She added that, “Speech being impacted is more often MSA. Swallowing is more often MSA.”

Despite the symptoms and the setbacks, Brian never surrendered, and his mind never diminished. He watched ESPN, enjoyed reading, and discussed world events and politics. Isolation did not exist as part of his vocabulary.

“We had an amazing network of family and friends that supported us in a way where they didn’t treat Brian different,” Harriet said. “Someone would show up for lunch at least once a week and call every week.”

Brian also attended lacrosse games played by his nephew Manis, who advanced from Severn School lacrosse to the University of Maryland and, later, to the Chesapeake Bayhawks.

Big B even watched from the stands at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts as Manis’ Terps won a Division I championship against Ohio State in 2017.

“He didn’t hide behind his disease,” Harriet said. “If somebody invited him somewhere, he went. It wasn’t easy, but he went.”

Before his battle with Parkinson’s and MSA ended in 2023, Brian witnessed another heartwarming show of support from his family.

Continuing A Legacy

Manis, along with childhood friend LJ Urie and former Maryland lacrosse teammate Nick Brozowski, did not let COVID deter them from honoring Brian with a fundraiser for the Michael J. Fox Foundation in 2020. They each ran 26.2 miles through the Bacon Ridge Trail in Crownsville and swam 2.2 miles across the Severn River. The expected length of their challenge equaled the amount of time Brian’s DBS surgery lasted.

“That was very special,” Manis said. “I learned why in triathlons, you’re always supposed to swim first. If you run and then swim, you cramp up. We kind of limped across the river.”

Brian and Harriet waited at their Linstead home to greet the men from the finish line.

“He was fired up,” Manis recalled of Brian’s reaction.

In California, Manis’ friend and former high school teammate Blake Wood ran his own marathon. Elizabeth Adam ran a solo marathon in London, where she was on COVID lockdown, to contribute to the fundraiser.

Those combined efforts raised over $50,000 for the Michael J. Fox Foundation, which is committed to finding a cure for Parkinson’s and improving therapies for the nearly 90,000 people in the U.S. who are diagnosed with the disease each year, according to the Parkinson’s Foundation. The nonprofit also supports people with MSA.

“They were a tremendous resource to our family as Big B navigated the disease, and their funding toward research to end the disease is unmatched,” said Jeff Begin, husband of Brian and Harriet’s daughter Anastasia. The younger couple moved from San Francisco to Severna Park during the COVID pandemic.

The fundraising did not stop there. Manis and Elizabeth ran a New York City marathon in 2024.

Now, Manis, Urie and Begin have been training to undertake a 100-mile run on April 11, 2025, World Parkinson’s Day. Each participant has his own reasons for accepting this major test of endurance.

“I consider myself extremely fortunate and hit the in-law jackpot, if there is one, with Big B and his wife, Harriet, as in-laws,” Begin said. “While I never met Big B before his Parkinson’s/MSA symptoms, he was a larger-than-life figure who seemed to leave a lasting imprint on anyone he met. For me, he was a role model in how he carried himself even with the disease — always providing encouragement to others, never complaining or dwelling on the negatives.”

Urie considered Brian “a close family friend — someone I’ve known my entire life — and an inspiration to all who knew him. Throughout his battle with Parkinson’s, he radiated love, joy and unwavering mental strength.”

Urie sees the 100-miler as an opportunity to push past limits, witness the positive power of community and “give praise and thanks to God for the blessings he has bestowed upon me and to use it to do something positive.”

For all three runners, it’s the biggest physical and mental challenge they have attempted. Urie trained for just two months to do the 2020 event. For this run, he has trained for one year.

“As we’ve gotten closer to the event, I’ve worked with Ryan Morrissey at Peak Performance to fine-tune my health and gain a deeper understanding of my nutritional needs for the 24-hour run,” Urie said. “He has also helped with injury prevention exercises, running efficiency, and even educated me on the nuances between different running shoes.”

Beyond fundraising, they hope their effort sends ripples of inspiration and love throughout the Parkinson’s community. All of Brian’s daughters and his extended family are doing their part to ensure his larger-than-life persona endures.

“I also know that Brian will be watching over us, guiding us when the journey gets tough — which it inevitably will,” Urie said. “When those moments come, we’ll draw strength from his ability to endure with relentless positivity, carrying us forward to the finish line.”

Harriet said, “Nothing like this has ever been done before in their fundraising efforts, so we are thrilled to support them every step of the way.”

As of April 10, Manis, Urie and Begin have raised over $112,000, exceeding their $100,000 goal. To learn more about the fundraiser or to donate, visit give.michaeljfox.org/fundraiser/5780533.